Repressed
by Magiccatprincess
Summary: Sometimes something so bad happens, something a child just can't deal with. Sometimes its better to forget. Tooth guards these repressed memories, only reminding children of them when the child is ready. But now Pitch is back and has taken the teeth of these children to use them to bring the ultimate fear, what happens when Pitch notices Jack also has repressed memories of his own?
1. Tooth Palace Under Attack Again?

**Author: As you can see, I've started a new story. This is one will be a bit more angsty than my other work... Well it's supposed to anyway XD  
As some of you know I view the guardians as one big family, so no pairings aside from a tiny bit of Christmas Cookie(NorthxTooth) at the side, but that's all.**

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch1: Tooth Palace Under Attack... Again?

"And then we went to the well." Jack finishes re-telling the memory. He and Tooth are in a room in the highest tower of the Tooth Palace for what they call a 'memory session'.

Each time Tooth would let him view a memory from his baby teeth and afterwards Jack has to tell her what he'd seen. After that the memory would settle and become like every other memory.

"That's great Jack!" Tooth says flying up, a smile on her face.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, it was." He quietly says, the smile on his face is small and wistful. He let out a small laugh using his staff to fly up. "Sorry Tooth, I've got to go. Winter starts early in Russia." Not waiting for her reply the winter child flew out of the tower through the opening that was a glass less window.

The queen of the Tooth Fairies watched him leave. After fifteen years Jack was still so untrusting.

He has every right to be.

After those 300 years, those 300 years that she, North, Sandy and Bunnymund could never make up for.

The 300 years of forced solitude isn't the only thing that makes Tooth feel like she failed to guide the child.

Tooth sighs grabbing Jack's teeth container looking at the picture of the brown-haired child that somehow _believed_.

A loud crash interrupted the fairy's trail of thought and instantly she's back on full alert.

"Girls!" The warrior queen shouted when she spotted the first black blur fly past the open window. The palace is under attack, and it feels all to similar to Pitch's attack from fifteen years ago. But even Pitch Black wouldn't be as foolish to pull the same trick in a row.

Would he?

She doesn't have time to think about, soon more black blurs- nightmares- fly past the windows-

Amethyst eyes narrowed the feathered woman flies out of the window. Feathers puffed up, by natural instinct as the queen dived into the battle. "Wings up and take no prisoners!" She shouts out the command to her mini-fairies.

**-ROTG-**

High up in sky above Russia, Jack is shepherding a herd of large intimating white clouds. This blizzard was meant for Alaska, but somehow the clouds had drifted all the way to Europe.

Grunting he swung his staff at the clouds forcing them to drift north.

"Frostbite!"

Blinking in surprise Jack looked down. Looking down at the ground below Jack spotted Bunny, the pooka waving his paws in the air trying to get his attention. Thinking back to the last time he saw the pooka like that.

1868

Jack snorts, how things change. Sending the clouds a look that meant 'stay', a look that would have no effect on lifeless clouds, Jack flew down landing in front of Bunnymund. "Hiya Cottontail," He greets leaning against his staff. "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm kinda at work."

"I've noticed." The large rabbit deadpans, ears pressed against his skull. Bunny can feel the pressure in the air thanks to the large blizzard in those clouds. "Ain't it a little early in tha season for a blizzard this size?"

"Try telling that to Mother Nature." Jack muttered. He had told the others about Mother Nature's orders early in his guardianship. Most of his work Jack did by instinct, but sometimes Mother Nature sends specific orders and Jack had shepherd the weather her way. Jack shrugged. "What brings you here anyway?"

It wouldn't be the first time Jack was too busy shepherding the weather to think of anything else. More than once Bunny had to go and search for the Winter Spirit, not that the pooka minded. Sure he complained a lot, but that was more a show of affection than anything else.

In all honesty the pooka took pride in the fact that he was the only one able to find Jack.

This isn't just a forgotten meeting though.

"Trouble at the Tooth Palace, mate." Bunny said before stomping on the ground two times and opening a tunnel- much to Jack's surprise.

The frost child let out a startled cry as he fell down the rabbit hole. "You could have at least let me blow that blizzard back up north!" He cried before he gained some control over his falling down the rabbit hole.

"No time for that mate!" Bunny called already ahead of him. He sounded too amused for it to count as an actual apology.

Jack got out of the tunnel ten seconds after Bunnymund. He gripped his staff ready to fight the nightmares- the thing is...

The nightmare sand made creatures ran away from him and Bunny.

Looking up Jack saw North, Sandy and even Tooth and her mini-fairies had the same problem. Every time they got close to a nightmare it ran away. When North managed to slice through one with his sabers it split itself into two smaller nightmares, both holding a number of teeth containers in their ribcages.

Flying up Jack shot blasts of frost and ice at the nightmares that galloped past him in the air. "Come on." He muttered.

"Yes!" He cried when he hit a nightmare, the black stallion landing on one of the towers as a pile of frozen black sand, the tooth containers it had been carrying clattered on the floor.

His shout if followed by sillence- defeated silence.

Turning away from the one nightmare he managed to defeat Jack gasped when he didn't see more nightmares. Just the others standing around Tooth at a different tower.

Quickly scooping up the four tooth containers he manged to save, Jack flew over to the tower. "What happened?" He asks Tooth who's fluttering in the air talking ten words per five seconds all curses in different languages.

Jack only recognizes one word in Icelandic 'borga' meaning 'pay'.

"Toothy." North says loud enough for his words to be heard by the enraged fairy. "What's going on?"

Slowly releasing a breath she didn't know she had been holding Tooth flew down. "I don't know." She said. "They came out of nowhere and- The teeth! Not all containers are stolen. Pitch targeted the ones they stole specifically!" She yelled in outrage.

Before she can start another multilingual rant Jack hands her the four teeth containers he managed to save. "I managed to hit one of the nightmares." He says in explanation.

Taking the containers Toothiana closed her eyes taking a deep breath. Not all was lost... "Thank you Jack." She quietly thanked him smiling sadly. She handed the containers to four of her mini-fairies that flew to her on a telepathic command. "Put these where they belong." Now wasn't the time for Tooth the doting mother, now it's time for Toothiana Queen of the Tooth Fairies. "I want a full list of whose teeth Pitch stole."

The mini-fairies all nodded before flying off.

"Tooth,"

The fairy turned around her eyes landing on North who had a determined look on his face, just like always ready to do what needed to be done. "Do not worry, we vill figure out Pitch's plan."

"That's right." Jack added grinning. "No way is he gonna get away with attacking your palace twice in the same century."

Bunny smirked at her and Sandy gave her two thumbs up.

Looking at her fellow guardia- her family- they weren't just colleagues anymore since Jack joined them, Tooth's puffed up plumage lowered and she smiled a small but grateful smile and nodded. "Thanks guys." Getting excited she flew up. "I need to get search missions, gather the European division-"

"Crap!"

Everyone turned to Jack who smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Tooth, I know this is important, but there is this blizzard in the air above Europe and I kinda need to get those clouds somewhere else."

"Eez okay Jack," North laughed. "We all have job to do. Go shepherd weather, come to 'pole when finished, da?"

"I will." Jack smiled, he didn't say it, but he liked it when North tried give him rules or deals like that. It was like parenting... but not at the same time. "I'll be there in a hour or two." He said letting the wind carry him off.


	2. Nineteen Teeth

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch2: Nineteen Teeth.

Fear comes in various tastes, different amounts of delicious power.

First there is an adult's fear, the taste is great, spicy really, but often is overpowered by adrenaline and rationality.

Then comes an immortal's fear, those who have lived the longest have seen the most and when they are truly afraid it's... intoxicating.

But _never_ as intoxicating as child's fear- Nothing is so... empowering. So sweet tasting as a child's fear.

And now...

Pitch looks at the container- or more specifically at the picture or the brown-haired child with the large cocky smile, on the back of the container.

The nightmare king smirks, what could be greater than a _immortal child's_ fear?

Soon he'd bring fort, the ultimate fear.

**-ROTG-**

So far he'd turned that blizzard into multiple smaller storms for Europe and send a cold chill to the Southern Hampshire, just to keep the spirit of Summer on his toes. The Winter teen closes looks at the sky to see if another flock of clouds is where it isn't supposed to be. He is about to leave England when he hears tweetering.

He isn't surprised when he spots Baby Tooth flying above his shoulder. "Baby Tooth," Jack laughs because he's never not happy to see his favorite mini-fairy. "how many times have told you it's not safe for you to be with me when I'm up bringing winter? It's too cold for you- What's wrong?" He asks when he can clearly see the worry shining in her eyes.

Baby Tooth twitters her voice higher than usual do to her distress.

"The nightmares brought the teeth back?" Jack doesn't know the language of the Sisters of Flight, but he can understand Baby Tooth and the other mini-fairies because he's technically still a child and children understand the tooth fairy. Though he doesn't always fully get what the mini-fairies say. "That's good right?"

Again the fairy chirps her reply and Jack nods. "Emergency meeting?" He smirks leaning his staff between his shoulders and resting the back of his head on it. "I was about to head to the pole anyway."

Hearing that Baby Tooth lets out a series of happy twitters before diving into Jack's hoodie.

"Hold on tight." Jack instructed before taking flight.

**-ROTG-**

Jack arrives at the pole at the same time North opens a window and the Winter child ends up crashing through the window. Still he somehow managed to get a soft landing. The reason why become clear the moment Jack recovered from the landing.

"Thanks Cottontail."

Bunny grunts getting up and pushing the teen of his back. "Why you little-" Before he can finish North grabs Bunny by his strap and Jack by his hood and puts them both on their chair at the meeting table where the Sandman sends the Bunny an unimpressed look. Bunny just rolls his eyes, figures the kid would get away with everything.

"No time for chat chit," The Russian says as he makes his way to his own chair at the head of the table, once again mixing up a saying. "eez serious business." He gestures at Tooth who nods before starting her explanation.

"Half an hour ago the nightmares all returned, with the stolen teeth containers." She informs them hovering over the table. "Most of them have nineteen teeth in them."

Bunny raised an eyebrow at that. "Nineteen teeth. So...?"

Whiping her head around to glare at the Easter Bunny Tooth looks scandalizes, Baby Tooth who'd crawled out of Jack's hood and is now perched on the boy's shoulder rolls her multicolored eyes.

"Each child had _twenty_ baby teeth." Tooth says, her glare making even E. Aster Bunnymund nervous.

He tries to stay awake, Jack really does but he's been procrastinating his rest for a full week now.

Ironically the Sandman is aware of this, that's why Sandy and Jack share a look which then turns into a game of making weird faces at the other, which turns into a staring contest... Which ends with a ball of dreamsand hitting Jack in the face.

"There's a reason Pitch took those teeth." Toothiana continues.

At her words North, Bunny and Sandy are immediately on high alert.

North hands grip the table. "You mean-"

"Yes." Tooth nods her voice betraying her worry. "Pitch took the teeth that hold the things children aren't meant to remember yet." The words left her and that's enough for the fairy to let go of her restraints and start flying all over the room, her wings going amazingly fast. "They aren't ready!" The fairy shrieks.

North, Bunny and Sandy are processing the direness of the situation and Tooth's flying all over the place.

None of them notice the dreamsand above Jack's head slowly turning black...


	3. They Take Time to Set in

**Author: Sorry for the delay guys.**

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch3: They Take Time to Set in.

Pitch is using the teeth, the Tooth fairy can feel it. All around the globe children are remembering what they shouldn't remember. She can sense it, the memories... Blissful ignorance being pulled away in the harshest of ways.

_No touching! Don't touch! Always touching..._

_Fire, so much fire-burning- people- no longer looking like people._

_Why won't she wake up?_

_Not that alley- there's something about that alley._

She focused on sensing who these children are, that way she'd know which children needed to be reminded of the good times. Even though the fairy doubts that her center- for once the cause of this fear- will be enough to fix the damage already done.

While Tooth focussed on that, North and Sandy try to formulate a plan of action. So far they only established what they already knew. Find Pitch, get the teeth back, somehow banish the fear and bring comfort to the children, and last but certainly not least- make Pitch pay.

They hadn't figured out how they would accomplish any of that though.

Besides the table a rabbit hole opened up and Bunnymund jumped out, returning from the Warren which he went to to reinforce the defences just in case Pitch decided to attack his home aswell.

"Hows tha plan coming?" The pooka asked walking over to North and Sandy.

Sandy sadly shook his head and started forming the sand image of a sinister appearing castle to inform the large rabbit that they needed to find Pitch's lair, he lost Bunny's attention before he could start forming images of a map.

Large ears shift trying to pick up that low sound from before. Bunny's ears stood erect when he heard it again.

A low whine followed by a very quiet whimper and mumbled word.

'_Sorry...'_

Following the sound Bunny turned back to the table, emerald eyes widening when he saw Jack sleeping. "Frost!" The sleeping frost child isn't what made the pooka cry out in surprise.

It's the small mass of nightmare sand floating just above Jack's head.

Bunny's cry caught the other's attention and they all turn to look at the spirit of Winter.

"Sweet Tooth!" Tooth gasped darting over to Jack and started to shake his shoulder. "No, no, no, no" She mumbled under her breath. "don't remember Jack. It's too early."

Her fellow(awake) teammates all share looks of confusion and surprise.

"Tooth?" North asked. "Jack has repressed memories?"

Tooth, surprised by her own accidental revealance turned to her companions, amethyst eyes shining with worry. "I was gonna tell him..." She stammers- stammering is so unlike her, but now Pitch is using memories, for the most horrible purpose she can imagine and DAMNIT Jack isn't ready! None of these memories should be revealed! "But Jack needed me to guide him through his normal memories first -a-an-and-

"He needs to wake up!"

**-ROTG-**

Crack!

All is red in front of clenched shut eyes.

Crack!

_'Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! So sorry!'_

Crack!

Another slash across his back,

Crack!

Pain. Blinding pain.

Crack!

_'It hurts! Please stop..'_

Crack!

_'Stop! Please!'_

No crack.

The belt is still held though.

Gripped tightly in large beefy hands.

"This is what you get for speaking up to me Petty Boy!"

CRACK!

_'Please... _

_Sorry...'_

"Sweet Tooth!" "Frostbite!" "Moy mal'ch'ik!"

**-ROTG-**

Sky blue eyes shot open and Jack sat up pushing himself away from the table. Looking up Jack blinked when he found Tooth, North, Bunny and Sandy all looking at him, concern evident.

"What's up guys?" He asked smirking as he casually leant back in his chair. Any moment now he expected Bunny to start complaining about him falling asleep during an important meeting. If he does Jack will glare at Sandy who will then look like the epitome of innocence.

But Bunny doesn't say anything, he just stares at Jack, long ears lowered just slightly.

Glancing at North the winter child noticed that North's cheeks aren't as rosy as they're supposed to be. Sandy has troubled look on his usually peaceful face and Tooth keeps wringing her hands.

Frowning Jack tilted his head to the side. "Guys?"

"It's alright Jack!" Tooth quickly answered wings vibrating, not with excitement but in distress. "We were just trying to come up with a way to find Pitch's lair."

From her spot on Jack's shoulder Baby Tooth chirped, her voice high and worried, though Jack had no idea what could have upset his favorite mini-fairy.

"You're right Baby Tooth." He nodded looking from the tiny fairy to the other guardians. "We should check forest in Burgess where Baby Tooth and I found Pitch last time when..." He trails of not wanting to discuss his previous failure.

North lets him. He won't force Jack to talk about something he doesn't want to. Especially after he just found out Jack has repressed something.

That something so bad happened, so horrible, that his mind blocked it. So North forces a smile on his face and tries to hide his growing concern for his boy. "Eez very good idea Jack" The large Russian declared. "We shall go search forest. To the sleigh!"

Jack was quickly out of the door after that, Sandy following closely behind. Bunny and North turned to the Tooth Fairy once they were sure Jack was no longer in hearing distance.

The fairy looked both of them in the eye before answering the unspoken question.

"Repressed memories take time to set in."

As soon as the words left her lips Tooth flew out of the door following Jack and Sandy to the sleigh. Hopping to stop Pitch before any memories set in.

They're on a tight schedule, and Pitch will be losing a lot of teeth when they find him, not just the ones he stole.

And this time she won't even bother with quarters.


End file.
